Trapped In Between
by Kaji-chan
Summary: The Shikon no Tama is the cause for an uncountable amount of deaths. Now it's Kagome's turn.
1. A Terrible Loss

First things first; I am a BIG Inukag fan, but that doesn't mean it's going to hit off with them at the start, or that it's going to necessarily be ALL Inukag, okay?  I have a lot of respect for Kikyou when she was LIVING, but I don't like to trash her at all.  This means I'm not going to kill her off or toss her to the side, because Kikyou is a VERY important person in this story (You'll see what I'm talking about later on), and it also means that even though I _wish_ I could, I can't ignore Inuyasha and Kikyou's love for each other to make way for Kagome.  That's the platform that Rumiko Takahashi-sama set and that's what I'm working with.

The beginning will most likely scare you a bit… because I kind of throw you head-first into a death scene… eh heh… but there's a reason for everything.  Just trust me.  ANGST WARNING!

Disclaimer:  Now, this is a no brainer.  *turns to a class of preschool students*  Now, children, do I own Inuyasha?

"No!"

Well, then, who owns it?

"Rumiko Takahashi-sama!  The master of all manga artists!"

*wipes tear from eyes*  You make me so proud…

~***~

~***~***~

Trapped In Between 

Chapter 1: A Terrible Loss

By: Kaji-chan

~***~***~

~***~

The sky was dark, and the distant rumbling of thunder was heard on the horizon.  _'It's going to rain...' he thought to himself.  The repressed half youkai stared out into the distance, straining to see through the darkness of the night.  __'Where could she have gone this time?'_

~*v*~

"Inuyasha!  Where have you been?  I have been looking all over for you!" the black haired teenager called to the hanyou, her blue-grey eyes shining with frustration.  "Hurry up, unless you don't want anything to eat!"

Inuyasha suppressed a smile.  She looked so funny in that silly little apron she was wearing… with all that frilly shit.  He walked over to where Shippou and Miroku were eating their dinner and took a seat on the forest floor.  "So… what did you make?  Ramen?" he asked curiously, leaning over to pick up the lid off of the pot simmering over the fire.  Suddenly, a disgusted look over came his face and he shrunk away from the pot, a weary expression on his face.  "You didn't make curry, did you…?"

The look on her face when he said that was priceless.  "Hey!  I worked hard on dinner, so eat it!  Besides…" she made a pouting face, "You're a big, tough guy…"  Her expression hardened as she hissed, "_Food a little on the spicy side shouldn't hurt you…"  She wore a dry expression and cocked her hip to one side, daring him to challenge her._

"I'm not hungry…" He stated simply, backing away from the food.  Kagome pursed her lips but didn't say anything more.  Inuyasha sighed in relief and stretched his weary muscles, scratching the back of his head with his claw.  His eyes were dull and fatigued, showing every hint of drowsiness.  Moving onto the next subject, he replied, "So, any luck with the last of the Shikon shards?"

"No, not yet.  We've been waiting for you, Inuyasha," Miroku stated plainly before resuming to his task of digging his chopsticks into the bowl of spiced ramen noodles at hand.

Inuyasha arched an eyebrow.  "Why?  Kagome can find the shards.  I would imagine that you and Sango would be able to take care of any demon that possesses one," He said nonchalantly, pointing to the highly irritated Kagome standing behind him.

The veins in Kagome's forehead seemed to pop out as she stalked over to him.  "I am NOT a shard detector!" she yelled, her face turning red with anger.  

Inuyasha blinked, replacing it with a flat stare.  "I didn't say that and you know it."  Her expression faltered, and she began to acquire a guilty look, opening her mouth to apologize, but Inuyasha continued.  "Why do you always take little things so offensively?" he asked.

"O-offensively…?" she stuttered, shaking in fury.  "Li-little things…?"  Slightly calming down, she jabbed a finger at Miroku, who tensed nervously, hoping he hadn't done anything wrong.  Fortunately, for him, anyway, she said, "You should be more like Miroku, so sweet and generous to the women!  Well...when he isn't groping them, of course..."

Sango looked up from her meal, obviously intrigued by their verbal battle.  Miroku looked up from his meal as well, his face poised in a shocked expression.  "I'm scandalized, Kagome-sama!"  He put on his well-practiced emotionally hurt face at her so-called accusations.

Sango threw her two cents in.  "It's true, houshi-sama.  You are the most perverted monk I've ever come across.  You have the most questionable morals I have ever seen in one studying the Holy Scriptures."  Miroku laughed nervously, finding his bowl of ramen suddenly interesting.   "Actually, I'm not sure if you even are a monk, to tell you the truth…"

Inuyasha smirked and pointed to the retired youkai taijiya with his thumb.  "Isn't that right…"

Kagome raised her finger to say something, but sighed and lowered her hand.  "This is not helping me prove my point…" she said, shaking her head in dismay.

Inuyasha looked up at her.  "Well, you were never very good at proving your points," he said pointedly.  Kagome shot him a death glare that could have wilted a brick wall.  

Inuyasha looked towards the horizon, watching the wind blow over the fields below.  He was silent for a moment.  "I wonder where Naraku is…?"

Miroku shrugged, setting down an empty bowl, "Perhaps planning our demise…?"

He snorted, crossing his arms.  "We _should_ be looking for the shards, but Kagome won't get off her butt to…"

Inuyasha's sensitive hearing picked up Kagome's soft sniffling, and he was shocked.  Inuyasha looked up to see her sapphire eyes lined with tears.  Seeing her silent weeping caused a small bit of guilt to tug at his consciousness.  "Kagome... wha...?"  She usually didn't take offense to those kind of things…

Kagome glared at him as she threw her apron down.  "Fine, then!  Go find the rest of the damn shards yourself!" she screamed, running out of camp.

Everyone stood there, shocked by her sudden outburst.  Inuyasha stared after her, completely dumfounded.  "Wha...What...?"  Inuyasha still couldn't take his eyes off of the spot in which she had run.  _'What did I do?  Was this... my fault?  Did I cause this?'_

Before anyone in the camp could say anything, Inuyasha tore off after Kagome, leaving behind only his confused companions and a long trail of dust.

~*^*~

Inuyasha sat down to rest.  Now that he thought about it, he felt really bad.  That was the second time he had made her cry since his second encounter with Kikyou.  He sighed and stood up, feeling a light drop of water land on his shoulder.  _'It's raining.  How perfect to fit my mood…' he thought to himself.  _

He was about to give up and just apologize in the morning.  She could find her own way home…

Inuyasha couldn't seem to force himself to go back, though.  He was getting worried.  It was beginning to rain, and he could smell that it was going to be a bad storm.  Standing up to continue his search, he felt a sudden vibration in the still night air, noticing that it was coming from a path deep in the woods.  

Was it Kagome?  

With lightning speed, he sped off towards the well, knowing all too well that she would be there.

~*~

Kagome reached the old well, a tear slipping down her face for the countless time that night_.  'I don't care what happens, I'm going back.  Inuyasha just doesn't understand...how I feel...'_  Kagome shook her head free of the guilty thoughts running though her and allowed another tear to slip from her eyes and cascade down her cheeks.  She was being selfish, just running off like that.  Inuyasha didn't even know what she was mad at him for.

She couldn't explain it.  She just looked at him, and was overcome with a horrible feeling.  Maybe her   

'I'll just… go back for a little while to calm down… he'll… understand.'  Kagome felt a drop of rainfall onto her hand and her face dropped in a sad expression, reaching over to lightly brush off the droplet.  'It's raining.  How perfect to fit my mood…' she thought to herself.

"Going back, I see?" an icy voice whispered from behind her.

Kagome turned to stare at the looming figure of a priestess.  Her long, black hair was blowing freely in the wind, her dark blue-grey eyes shining with a hollow doubt.  She could see the miko's hand clenched onto a bow, and unsusceptible fear coursed through her.  "Kikyou…" Kagome whispered.

It was Kikyou, her previous incarnation.  The original protector of the Shikon no Tama.  The miko who had died protecting that jewel.  The priestess who sealed Inuyasha, and who once attempted to drag him back to Hell with her.  The one he loved, the miko who was their ally in battle, but their enemy as well.

She felt that horrible churning in the pit of her stomach.  Perhaps that was why she ran off?  Because she was over-run with feelings for Inuyasha that she knew he would never return.  Because he was with her.  She let go of the well and turned to completely face the priestess.

It was time she faced her fears and had a talk with Kikyou.

~*~

Inuyasha had almost reached the well, when he felt the presence of Kikyou.  "Kikyou!  What the hell is she doing here?"  Frowning, he continued forwards, just about to clear out of the brush.

"Kikyou…?"

Inuyasha halted his pursuit, ducking behind a tree, his eyes wide.  Kagome?!  What were the both of them doing here…?

He pricked up his ears and listened intently, hearing two voices.  Curious, he quietly inched closer, not wanting to interrupt their conversation in hopes of hearing what they were conversing.

~*~

Kagome could almost see her lips twist up into a smile.  "Inuyasha has pierced your heart with his arrogance, has he not?"  Kagome turned her face away and quickly wiped away the tears on her rain-soaked face.  There was something funny about Kikyou's voice.  Kikyou chuckled to herself.  "Well, it looks as if we have more in common than I thought, girl.  We both hate Inuyasha, that snarling, cold-hearted fool..."

Kagome whirled around, her eyes burning.  "C-cold-hearted?  He's never cold hearted!" she cried, her face soaked from the rain and her tears.  "All he ever does is care about…" she faltered a bit, "…you… and… his friends…"  Then, her voice shaking slightly, she whispered, "He always talks about how much he loves you, Kikyou."  

The miko showed no sign of caring, her face stoic and flat.

Kagome looked away from the miko and stared back at the well.  She closed her eyes and let her antipathy pass through deep, calming breaths.  Why couldn't she see?  This wasn't like the Kikyou she knew.  Unless she had never really known her well enough, until now.  Kagome shot an angry look at Kikyou, her attempts to suppress her anger proving to no avail.  "You are just too blind to see it!"

~*~

Inuyasha stepped back.  His amber eyes stared unblinkingly towards Kagome in utter shock as he peeked around the tree trunk.  For some reason, Kagome had run off into the woods after swearing at him, because he had said something to her, and now she was defending him?  He still didn't know what it was, but he did know it had something to do with him and that her had hurt her feelings in some way.  He still couldn't figure out what it was.

And why was she telling Kikyou that he loved her when every time his relationship with Kikyou was brought up, she would get angry at him?  

This thought made him even more confused.  Why was she standing up for him when he had been the original cause of her pain?

Secondly, why was Kikyou acting so strange?  He had never seen her act like this before, and it was beginning to concern him.  And why was Kikyou being so harsh?  He had never seen either of them act this way…

~*~

Kikyou snorted at the girl's stubbornness to see her way.  "You're a fool.  Only I see what he truly is.  That bastard of a half-breed… all he does is lie and deceive!  He just wants is the jewel for himself!  Don't you see?  He is only playing along with you… until you restore the jewel!  Then, when all the pieces of the jewel have been collected, he will only kill you and steal the Shikon Jewel so he can become a full youkai!"

~*~

Inuyasha forced back the impulse to run into the middle of the quarrel and shout that he would never hurt Kagome, that he would _never lay a hurtful finger on her.  _

And what about his dream to become a full-blooded youkai?  Didn't he want that?  Wasn't that his goal? To be the strongest youkai in the world?  But… he didn't want that.  Then he realized… that he had never wanted that.

Then, what did he want?  

Inuyasha's head was spinning out of control.  What the hell was wrong with him?!

But then again… why would he want to be a full-youkai, when he was so happy in his present state, traveling with his friends, and especially traveling with…  He gasped at his realization, though he'd known it for a long time.  He knew the answer.  Kagome.

~*~

Kagome shook her head, there was definitely something wrong with Kikyou.  "How can you hate him so much, Kikyou?" she asked, surprised by how small her voice sounded compared to the forceful words that Kikyou spoke.  "Why would he…?"

Kikyou narrowed her eyes, cutting her off.  "He's only lying to you.  You are the one that's blind and unable to see."

Kagome's blood boiled with anger.  How dare she insult him!  After all he'd done for her.  After all he'd sacrificed for her.  After all she'd sacrificed so he could be with her.  

Her hands clenched into fists.  "He would never lie to me!  You are the liar!  And you're certainly the one to talk about deception!  All those times you've deceived Inuyasha, messed with his mind, trying to make him believe that you still loved him, when all along you were trying to drag him down to Hell!!" she screamed.  Her eyes were flashing with hatred.  But then, the young woman threw a surprised hand over her mouth, gasping in shock.

How could she have said such things to her?  Kikyou was older than her, and Kagome had no right to step in between their relationship, even if she had good intentions.  Even though Kikyou was wrong about Inuyasha… she was in no position to speak that way.

Kikyou could insult her, yell at her, and physically hurt her, and she would not fight back.  She had never fought back.  It wasn't her place.  But nevertheless, she would _not stand there, watch her insult Inuyasha, and do nothing.  Quietly, she continued, but her voice was still forceful and direct.  "Inuyasha has saved my life so many times I can't count them."  Swallowing, she gathered up her courage, feeling a prickling feeling in the back of her eyes.  "If I can't trust him after that, I'm must be crazy!"_

~*~

Inuyasha didn't know that she trusted him so much.  No… he knew.  Was he so blind to not see it?  No.  He just never paid enough attention to her.  How many other times had she stood up for him?  He never acknowledged her.

How had he not noticed Kikyou's intentions?  Of course... he always did, he just never wanted to believe it.  However, Kikyou was acknowledging that they were true; that she hated him, and that she will never love him after what he did to her.  But… he didn't _want_ to believe… that Kikyou didn't love him anymore…

Why hadn't these thoughts ever surfaced before?  Why hadn't he ever taken into account that she cared so much about him?  That he cared so much about her?  About Kagome?

No.  He'd always known.  They were thoughts that he'd known all along, but he just pushed them away.  And now he was going to face it.

~*~

Kikyou narrowed her eyes at Kagome's indirect insults.  "You have suffered long enough, Kagome."  Kagome's face was full of confusion at her statement, blinking and unconsciously taking a step back at her cold tone.

"I'm afraid that one of us will have to go.  I am sorry."  Without warning, Kikyou pulled out and arrow and set it in her bow.  "To an extent."  Her unemotional expression quickly melted into a devious and evil grin, and Kagome gasped at her sudden shift in attitude.  What was going on?

Kagome's shocked face was indescribably pale as she watched the older priestess raise the weapon; the glistening point of the arrow aimed directly at her.  "Kikyou… you don't know what you're doing!  Please stop!" she cried, a twinge of fear touching her.

Kikyou ignored Kagome's desperate pleading.  Then, when she spoke, her voice seemed to change into an icy tone.  "At least, with you out of the way, I'll be able to finish what I came here for."  Her eyes flashed red as she added, "Don't worry; you'll see Inuyasha in Hell."  

She released the arrow.

~*~

Millions of thoughts raced through Inuyasha's head as he watched the arrow slice through the crisp, night air.  Knowing that his thoughts would lead him astray, he let his instincts take over.  _"NO!!"  Inuyasha cried, jumping out of the bushes and running towards the arrow.  There was only one thought in his mind—to save Kagome._

Kikyou held a surprised look on her face as a streak of red shot past her in an attempt to stop the arrow.  Her eyes narrowed.  'Hm… I should have sensed his presence… no matter.  This won't change anything.  Actually, this should turn out better than I had originally planned…'

Kagome watched in horror as it came speeding towards her, knowing she couldn't dodge it.  Everything seemed to slow down as the arrow closed in on her, the silver tip glinting viciously in the moonlight.  Kagome let out a blood-curdling scream as the arrow pierced her flesh, blood spurting out of the new wound.

"KAGOME!" he shouted, his voice slicing through the darkness of the night, strangled by a terrorizing fear.  Fear for her.  He rushed to her side and took her in her arms, a pained expression on his features as he looked at her pierced shoulder.

"Inuyasha…" she whispered, her face scrunched in pain.  "Make it stop…"  Tears welled up in her eyes as pain flooded through her body, her knees buckling as she fell in on herself.

His strong, protective grip on her held her steady, and he pulled the arrow out of her shoulder as carefully as possible, making sure to cause the least amount of pain.  Kagome let out a choked grunt of pain as the shaft was pulled out of shoulder, taking a bit of skin and blood with it. 

Tears began to slide down her face as she tightly clutched her wounded shoulder.  A strong hand clasped over hers in an attempt to stop the bleeding.  Her gaze moved towards the hanyou's concerned face, a small smile gracing her lips.

Inuyasha felt an unfamiliar sting plague the backs of his eyes, but he held it back.  "Kagome?  Are you all right?  Say something, dammit!" he said, squeezing her hand, afraid for her.

Kagome clenched her teeth in an effort to ease the pain.  A smile forced its way back upon her lips as she whispered, "I'm glad you're here for me, Inuyasha."

He felt a smile tug at his lips, but he retained it, though he was not able to repress the soft tone with overcame his amber eyes.  Inuyasha shifted his weight to pick her up and take her away from harm.  

Kagome screamed.

Another arrow was protruding from her side, this time near her abdominal area, and Inuyasha's breath hitched in his throat.  He once again grasped the shaft and slowly slipped it out of her body, gripping her stomach area to prevent anymore bleeding.  His attempts failed as blood pushed up from between his fingers, the coppery substance oozing silently down his arm to puddle at his feet.  "Kagome… please, don't give up on me, now…" he said as he shook he slightly, her now-pale lips moving soundlessly up and down.

"Inuyasha…" she whispered in a raspy voice, her eyes squeezed closed as she suppressed the urge to cry out in pain, "It hurts so much…"

"Its okay, Kagome."  He replied, hugging her frail body to him.  "Don't worry, we'll take you to Kaede and everything will be okay…"  Kagome's hands fisted in his haori as she tried to make the unbearable pain disappear.

Inuyasha threw his gaze towards Kikyou with a hurt and confused look, her bow poised with another arrow.  Kikyou's face remained expressionless.  "Fool…" she hissed, a third arrow shooting from her bow. 

"No…" he whispered, his hand reaching out to intercept it.  Unfortunately, the silent rain drizzling on them had made his fingers slick, and his claws slipped right over the top of the shaft.  He watched in silent horror as the arrow whizzed by his hands and sliced into Kagome's chest.

Inuyasha's shocked face turned sharply to Kagome's as her face turned pale.  "No…  Kagome…" he whispered fearfully to her, not even bothering to cover his current distress.  He once again slid the arrow out of her body, dropping the bloody remains of the arrow to the ground and reaching to cover the wound on her chest that began to bleed.  _'She's loosing a lot of blood…' he thought frantically."Kagome," he said urgently, "I want you to—"_

Kagome shook her head, staring up at him with pleading eyes.  She coughed and sputtered as she attempted to speak to him, amidst the pain, to the silver haired hanyou.  "It's… no use… the wounds are too bad…"

Inuyasha shook his head in disbelief, not wanting to believe her hopeless words.  "No, Kagome, don't talk like that!  We'll take you Kaede's and you'll be just fine…"

She closed her eyes for a second as she swallowed thickly, feeling weariness slowly but surely overtake her.  "Inuyasha… I'm sorry…"  Her eyes twitched as the pain slowly flowed through her, racking her body in small spasms.

His eyes softened and he clutched her hand.  "What for?"

"For…" she closed her eyes, a tear sliding out from underneath her lashes, "…for running off on you… it wasn't your fault… and I…"

"Kagome… don't worry about that right now, you just need some rest…" he said, trying to reassure her, as well as himself, that she would make it though.  This wasn't the end… it couldn't be…

Her hands were gradually loosing their color and becoming colder than normal, clutching to his haori with a surprisingly strong grip.  Her watery blue-grey eyes looked deeply into the amber ones above her, as tears began to slip silently down her blanched cheeks.  Kagome bit her lip before attempting once more to speak to Inuyasha, as it was becoming harder and harder for her to speak.  "Inu…ya…sha…" she whispered, barely audible through the sharp intake of breaths she was taking in between each word.

Inuyasha's eyes clouded over as he looked down at Kagome's pale and trembling form.  Sweet, innocent, caring Kagome.  How could he let this happen?  To Kagome?  To _his_ Kagome.  The Kagome who was always there for him when he was hurt.  The Kagome who always thought of him before herself, even in a desperate situation.  The Kagome who was a friend to everyone.  The amiable young woman, who always had a smile on her beautiful face, was lying in his lap, _dying, because he couldn't save her._

How could he let this happen?  How could he?  After everything she did for him?  And he just watched this pure angel be shot by the woman who haunted his past and lingered in his shadows.  _How could he let this happen?!  "What is it, Kagome?" he whispered; his voice shakier than ever._

Her thoughts raced.  There were so many things she wanted to tell him, but she did not know how to put them in words.  She looked into his eyes, as if trying to tell him.  She opened her mouth to speak.  "Inu…ya…sha…" She drew in a sharp breath.  "I… I just wanted… to say… th-that…"

Inuyasha lifted her up to his chest.  "Yes, Kagome?  What do you need to tell me?" he whispered back, closing his eyes as he memorized the feeling of her body molded against his in a caring embrace.  He felt tears threatening to spill, but continued to push them back.

Kagome bit her lip again and shuddered.  "…Th-that…I…"

Kagome suddenly ceased speaking, her unblinking eyes widening as she made a soft gurgling noise.  Her words were silenced as a small trail of blood began to dribble out of her mouth, slowly trickling down her chin into Inuyasha's lap.  Inuyasha looked down to see another wooden shaft protruding from her chest, his eyes widening in panic.

"NO!  KAGOME!!" he cried, her body tensing, crimson seeping from the new wound and seeping through her white uniform, staining it a dark red.  Her eyes began to loose their usual twinkle as they stared frightfully up at him, her hands trailing up and grasping his shoulders.  The color drained from her face as she forced another smile on her lips.  "Kagome…" he whispered, finally allowing a tear to slip silently down his face.  She wasn't going to make it.  

He turned to gaze at Kikyou, whose expression was stoic and cold.  His brows creased in misunderstanding, turning back to look down at Kagome's trembling form.

She opened her lips to speak once more, but was only able to draw in a raspy breath.  She reached up, her soft, and now cold, fingers lightly touching his face, her eyes softening as she wiped away a tear.  Finally able to speak, she rasped out to him, "Don't… don't cry… Inuyasha…"

Inuyasha clasped her cold hand and held it to his cheek, wishing its happy warmth would magically return, clutching it to his chest.  Kagome tried to fight off the looming fatigue that was slowly engulfing her, but found she was too weak to do so.  She closed her eyes, feeling darkness swamp her thoughts as she felt herself slowly floating away from reality.  With the last of her strength, she opened her eyes and smiled up at him, brushing a long bang out of his face and wiping the tears from his cheeks.  

Inuyasha pulled her closer, smiling sadly at her and hesitantly placing a warm, gentle kiss on her parted lips.  Kagome was surprised for only a moment before she weakly responded, kissing back and leaning into him as much as her frail body would allow, a solitary tear sliding down her cheek.  _'Inuyasha…'_

Inuyasha slowly and reluctantly pulled back to gaze at her with saddened, mournful eyes.  She returned his gaze and smiled sadly.  He returned her smile, his more pained and forced.  "Inuyasha…" she whispered, smiling softly before she gave in to the shadows, her eyes fluttering shut and her chest stilling with her last breath.

Inuyasha sat there, transfixed, holding the body of the one he cared for.  Her hand slipped from his face, but he caught it brought it back up to his lips.  "Kagome…" he whispered.  Inuyasha kissed her hand and held it to his heart, swallowed up in the brief moment of despair.

Inuyasha sat there, holding her lifeless body in his hands, tears silently streaming down his sorrowful face.  His mind was clouded with remorse and he couldn't bring himself to think straight.  His eyes continued to move in and out of focus as the large amounts of tears spilled over his eyelids.  "Kagome…" he whispered again, in a voice so low that not even a youkai two feet away from him could hear.  "You… you can't die, Kagome…"  He lifted up her body and hugged it close to his chest, resting her head in the crook of his neck.  "Kagome… don't die on me…  Ka-Kagome… don't die!"

His frantic shouts remained unheard by the miko lying dead in his arms.  Inuyasha sat in that position for what felt like eternity, clutching her protectively to his chest, until a distant voice interrupted the remorseful silence.

"A reincarnation of Kikyou would only get in my way.  She deserved to die…" said a contemptuous voice from behind him.  The only thing was, it wasn't Kikyou's.  "As do you."

~***~***~

Okay, I would like to say one thing: I'm not a hypocrite!  I LOVE Kikyou's character.  You'll understand why I'm not in chapter two.

I promise this isn't the end for Kagome!  Don't kill me!  *cringes*  You'll find out how this turns out in the next chapter.  You HAVE TO READ MY AUTHOR NOTES IN THE SECOND CHAPTER!!!  Ooooh...  I love cliffhangers!  ^_^  Be sure to review, or I won't add the next chapter!  I give you a piece of candy!  *Puppy dog face* Be nice, this is only my second Inuyasha fic...  ^_~


	2. Contemplating Tears

**HOLY MOTHER OF CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM, **(don't ask me where I got that saying) **I ACTUALLY CHANGED THE FREAKING TITLE!  **(score!)****

Okay folks, this is chapter two of my makeshift Inuyasha fic, and it is **SERIOUSLY EDITED**.  I probably didn't keep a paragraph worth of the original dialogue in it.  I read over it yesterday and it was shit.  I decided that in order to actually want to continue this fic, I would have to be at least slightly satisfied with the writing.  Which is why the original writing went into the trash bin.  It's so much better, now… though I'm still a bit unsatisfied.  Oh, and the part where Kagura was Kikyou… nope.  I changed it to Naraku for reasons you will understand if you re-read it.  Sorry about all this.

And also, I am not a Kikyou hater, as I said in chapter one.  There are occasional times when she acts like a bitch… but I would, too, if I was betrayed by the only person I cared for and then died trying to protect humanity from a jewel, and was then forced back to life to have to wander aimlessly because my soul cannot rest in peace without the death of my betrayer… jeez, give her a break, people.  If you're still under the delusion that she's still out to kill Kagome, you haven't gotten very far in the series, have you?  And watch episode 91.

Disclaimer:  All characters in the story belong to Megami no Takahashi-sama, the wonderful creator of Inuyasha.  *preschool children chorus in*  "Yeah, so don't sue her because all she has is her computer!"  *sighs*

~***~

~***~***~

Trapped In Between Chapter 2: Contemplating Tears By: Kaji-chan 

~***~***~

~***~

It was Naraku's.

Inuyasha spun around, hatred burning in his eyes.  "You…" he growled, his fangs bared in a snarl of revulsion and contempt.  "You… YOU KILLED HER!"

Naraku's smirk was visible through his white baboon pelt.  "What a pity..."  Naraku laughed, the mockery of it ringing in the hanyou's ears.  "Yes, how terrible…"

Inuyasha bared his fangs, a low growl rising up in his chest.  "Why?!  She wasn't a threat to you!"

Naraku shook his head.  "Yes, that might be the case... but you were never powerful enough to kill me, to penetrate my shield without being burned by my miasma."  Inuyasha held back the low growl that reverberated through his chest.  "But that girl... yes... she was something different…  Her arrows could purify even _my miasma."  Naraku enjoyed the sweet silence and watched the anger and hatred burn and flare in Inuyasha's eyes.  "Yes... she was the one who brought me to near death a while back.  Don't you remember?"_

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed as he recalled the events.  Naraku had taken her away from his protection and tried to kill her by cursing her, but it backfired, nearly killing him.  Naraku ran, but she shot him with one of the most powerful purification arrows Inuyasha had ever seen.  "That was almost a year ago…" he growled, his brows drawing down into a darkened frown.

"She had gotten too strong since then for my liking." he said, his face stark.  "It looks like that won't be happening anymore, because she's already taken care of her."  Naraku laughed again.  "I no longer have to worry about a threat."

Inuyasha could feel the anger flowing ravenously though his veins, his eyes flashing a frightening blood red before receding to the normal amber coloring.  "I'm the threat!" he growled, he hand clasping over the hilt of his sword.  "_I'm_ the one who is about to KILL YOU!!"

Inuyasha leapt forward, his father's steel cleaving fang Tetsusaiga drawn and gleaming threateningly in the light.  "YOU'VE SEALED YOUR DEATH, NARAKU!" he roared, slashing madly at him as his eyes continued to glow red with fury.

Naraku calmly dodged his attempts to attack, a smirk playing on his lips.  "You are a fool." He said, dodging more of Inuyasha's assaults.  "How could you have not noticed, Inuyasha?  I pretended to be Kikyou, because I knew that you would just watch her kill the girl."

Inuyasha snarled and swung powerfully at Naraku, his anger growing with every word Inuyasha spoke to him.  Naraku smirked, the fang coming into forceful contact with his barrier, halting Inuyasha in mid-swing, his smirk growing.  "The arrows weren't enchanted.  I thought that even _you would have noticed, then…"  He chuckled, a terrible grin spreading across his features.  "I missed her twice, too, guess I'm not a very good marksman…"  _

Naraku was now in front of the old well, smirking down at Inuyasha's infuriated face as the hanyou's sword crackled against his powerful barrier.  "She isn't anything to you, anyway.  She was never anything more to you than Kikyou was."  

Inuyasha's face faltered, Naraku's smirk growing.  "Fool."  Naraku's barrier expanded, knocking Inuyasha's sword back and forcing the hanyou to go flying backwards to skid on the ground a ways off.  

Inuyasha winced and forced himself up, dirt smudged on his face and small tears in his clothes.  His expression was hidden by his bangs as he leaned against Tessaiga for support.  "How dare you…" he snarled, looking up to glare at Naraku with cold yellow eyes.  "You know shit about Kagome and I!" he yelled, bringing his sword above his head.  "Don't assume anything you fucking bastard!"  

Naraku's smirk only widened.

"Kaze no KIZU!!" he roared, bringing the Tetsusaiga powerfully down to the ground and unleashing the mighty blades of wind.

Naraku's barrier held strong, the blades of wind blowing over his barrier and continuing on to rip through the well, a clouding haze overcoming the two.  As the dust gradually disappeared, Inuyasha realized that he had not just ripped through the well, but the door to a castle.  It was an illusion the whole time.  They were at Naraku's castle.

An evil, crooked smile crossed Naraku's lips, and he said, "You even lie to yourself."

Inuyasha only narrowed his eyes at the accusation.

Naraku's smirk twisted into a crooked smile when the hanyou remained silent.  "You know, if I wasn't bent on killing you and your pathetic little friends, I might actually feel sorry for the bitch.  A very sad story, how you keep telling her that you will protect her when all you do is run to her dead self."  

Inuyasha looked back at Kagome, his face holding a pained expression.  He wasn't sure what to say.  He wasn't even sure if there _was anything to say.  Though it pained him immensely to admit it, Naraku was right.  "But… Kagome and I knew that—"_

"You would eventually leave her anyway?  For a dead corpse?"  Naraku chuckled.  "Who would have guessed that I would have the chance to kill Kikyou _and_ her reincarnation all in the sum of about fifty years, along with my possession of the Shikon no tama…?"  His smirk widened.  "And it all happens to be your fault, doesn't it?"

Inuyasha bared his fangs, his hands gripping the hilt of his sword so hard that his knuckles were white.  "Naraku!  I won't forgive you for killing Kagome!"

Naraku laughed at the irony.  "Maybe you can get another witch to bring back the girl, so you'll have two dead women to run to."

"What?!" Inuyasha hissed through bared fangs.  "YOU BETTER TAKE THAT BACK!"

"Heh.  Inuyasha… You're a fool.  Could you not sense that you were walking right into my trap?  You would guess that even a stupid hanyou like you would recognize a trap when you see one."

Inuyasha gripped his sword even tighter.  "You bastard."

"Well, since I killed the bitch, it's only fitting that I should kill you as well, isn't it?"  Kagura and Kanna stepped forward from behind Naraku.  "It'll be like killing two birds with one stone."

Kagura stepped forward, flipping open her fan with an almost inaudible swish and pulled back, wearing a confident smirk on her face.  "Fuujin no mai!" she yelled, whipping her fan around in a fluid motion, throwing the wind blades forward at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha jumped out of the way with ease, his feet landing deftly on the ground not too far from where the wind blades tore up the ground, kicking up dust as his sideways momentum caused his feet to slide.  Smirking, he instantly changed his direction and shot towards Kagura.  The wind user whirled her fan around in a graceful motion, throwing another barrage of windblades at Inuyasha, who had to quickly jump out of the way.

He ran to the left at full speed, the blades chasing him, tearing up earth at his heels.  He was quickly feeling an ache in his legs at the constant running and dodging.  Kouga had a hard time dodging Kagura's wind, and he was much faster than Inuyasha.  "Shit…" he hissed, pausing briefly to wipe sweat and dirt from his forehead as Kagura prepared for another attack.

His chest heaved in exertion.  He couldn't continue this much longer, and he needed to move Kagome out of harms way before Kagura got her in the barrage of wind blades.

Kagura held up her fan up to shield all but her crimson eyes, which she dropped to a half-lidded position.  Inuyasha didn't have to see her face to tell that she was smirking confidently behind the red and white coloring of her fan.  "Time to die," Kagura said in a flat, uncaring tone, snapping her fan shut and holding it out to her side, preparing for the dragon-snakes attack.

Suddenly, an arrow flew out of no where, zipping right by her ear and taking a lock of hair with it as it passed by with a small hum of purification.  Kagura was too stunned to move, a hand reaching up to touch the part where her hair had been severed, touching the broken cluster of black strands gingerly.  Her head whipped around to face the attacker, a scowl lighting her feminine features.

Inuyasha didn't have to turn to know who had shot that arrow.  He knew her presence all too well.  He adverted his gaze to the side to where the arrow's source was standing, her long, dark hair blowing lightly about in the breeze, her bow taut as she held another arrow firmly in place.  His eyes conveyed surprise none-the-less, the grip on his sword slackening.

"This will stop, now," she said firmly, her calm, smooth tone emanating from her pale lips, a soft purifying glow surrounding her figure.  Her miko robes billowed gently as her aura pulsed, her expression deadly serious.

Naraku's eyes narrowed at her unexpected arrival.  "Kikyou…" he hissed, his eyes narrowing.

"Kikyou…" whispered Inuyasha.  He gazed at her, but did not move towards her.

Kagura, however, glared down the miko, gripping her fan.  "Bitch.  How dare you interfere in matters that don't concern you."

Kikyou's eyebrows lowered over her darkened eyes.  "Anything concerning Inuyasha… and Kagome… are my business."

Inuyasha's eyes widened.  _'Mine… and Kagome's…?'_  He wasn't sure how to take in her words, how to process them.  The miko turned her eyes to him, locking him with a pointed gaze.  Inuyasha found himself frozen under her stare, not able to understand what she could mean by her words.

The wind-user's eyes hardened, her red lips curling up into a snarl as she snapped open her fan with a powerful vengeance burning in her eyes.  "Do not ignore me!" she exclaimed, throwing a volley of wind blades towards the priestess.

Inuyasha's eyes widened.  _'No!'_  "KIKYOU!" he cried, dashing towards the miko.

Her eyes snapped from Inuyasha's form to focus on the oncoming attack, her features remaining surprisingly calm and composed.  "Do not joke with me," she said monotonously, her grip on her bow tightening as she aimed the arrow at the wind.  Her brows creased in concentration as she let the arrow fly, shooting through the blades of wind only feet away from her form, Inuyasha's running slowing to a halt as he watched the wind disappear.  

Kagura gasped as the arrow sliced through the wind, purifying her youki into a cloud of nothingness, leaving behind a glowing trail.  She leaned her head slightly to the side, the projectile flying past her head to embedded itself in the wood behind her, next to its predecessor.  The woman snorted in contempt.  "Hmph.  Don't be so—"  Her speech was cut short when she noticed a blade flying towards her.  "Eh?!"

The Tetsusaiga flew by her form, slamming into the castle wall next to Kikyou's arrows and receding to its original rusted state.  Inuyasha's arm was extended, a frown on his features.  "Keh.  Don't ignore _me so easily!" he yelled, drawing back his fist as he raced up towards a stunned Kagura.  "This is for Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled, throwing his body weight forward to land a powerful punch to her face.  _

She released a strangled cry of pain as she was sent flying backwards, skidding on the uneven ground.  Kagura's body slid backwards and crashed into the steps, grunting as the wood slammed into her back.

Realizing that her chances of winning this battle were quickly slimming, she swiveled her head to look behind her just as Inuyasha pulled his sword from out of the wall.  "Now!" she cried.

Inuyasha ignored her shout, raising his transformed fang above his head.  He took a last fleeting glance towards where Kikyou stood, only to find that she was no longer there.  He bowed his head slightly in silent thanks, turning his hardened gaze back to the wind-user.  "It ends here, Kagura!" he yelled, swinging the Tetsusaiga down onto her crumpled form.

A blade flew from behind him and knocked the Tetsusaiga out of his hands.  Inuyasha turned as the clanging of chains caught the attention of his ears.  Kohaku stood there, holding his blade up high.  Inuyasha frowned.  His muscles were to tired for him to dodge without getting hit.  The boy reeled back and threw the Karigama at him, Inuyasha's muscles bunching in preparation for a last ditch attempt to get out of the way.

The blade of the Karigama was knocked out of the way as another weapon flew through, jolting the blade's course enough to throw it off to the side of Inuyasha.  Kohaku's soulless eyes narrowed at the interruption, yanking on the chain a pulling the Karigama out of the ground and back to his hand.  He paused briefly to turn and look at the interruption.

The humongous boomerang soared back around and was caught by a woman's outstretched hand, her form taut and prepared for battle.

Inuyasha stood to look to the other end of the battlefield.  Sango, Miroku, and Kirara were positioned there calmly, Sango gripping Hiraikotsu and Miroku holding out his staff defensively in front of her.  They were all ready for combat.  

"Kohaku!  Your fight is with me!"  Sango cried, grasping her boomerang tightly.

Miroku's face was solemn as he heard Sango's voice tremble slightly.  She was not ready to fight her brother, even though she knew she had to.  Miroku nodded towards Shippo.  "You don't have to stay here, Shippo.  Go find somewhere safe to hide."

Shippo shook his head.  "No!  I'm going to fight with you!" he said, trying his best to be brave.

Inuyasha felt his confidence grow as his comrades stepped forward, all taking battle stance next to him.  He couldn't win by himself.

Kagura frowned, forcing herself to her feet.  She glanced down at her kimono, annoyed to see it's expensive stitching and elaborate designs torn and dirty.  Kagura opened her fan with a small flick of her wrist.  She'd be damned if they beat her.  "All too easy!  Ryuuja no mai!" she cried, tornadoes flying towards the small group.

Miroku stepped forward.  "Everyone stay back!"  He pulled on the prayer beads wrapped around his cursed hand, tugging them off and stretching out his hand towards the attack.  "Kaazana!"

The wind picked up, sucking the tornadoes into his extended hand, harmlessly disappearing into his void.  Kagura cursed, the monk sealing the void with his string of prayer beads.  Her attacks were becoming less and less effective against their ridiculous little group every time she fought them.  She wasn't going to be able to win this time, now that reinforcements had unexpectedly arrived.  

Kagura pulled a feather out of her hair and tossed it to the ground, the small feather disappearing in a cloud of magic to enlarge itself into her transportation.  "Damn you…" she hissed, Kohaku jumping on with her,  sending a final glare at them before speeding off.

Inuyasha cursed, knowing that they wouldn't be able to catch up to them.  Sango and Miroku both breathed a sigh of relief at the end of the battle, relaxing a bit.

"Kukuku… I have done what I needed to." Chuckled an icy voice.

Sango's eyebrows twitched as she whirled around to face him, Miroku also becoming aware of the demon's presence.  The taijiya wasted no time with small talk, winding back and throwing her boomerang as hard as she could.  "Hiraikotsu!" she shouted, the enormous weapon flinging through the air at its target.

The boomerang zipped through the air and sliced through the baboon pelt, the torn pieces falling to the ground.  Inuyasha frowned slightly in surprise.  How was it so easy for them to defeat Naraku?

The youkai taijiya caught her huge weapon as it returned to her, and the group glared at the head as it chuckled.  "I have done what I needed… she is dead…" before Sango stepped on it with a snarl, watching the fake Naraku turn to dust.

"Kugutsu, huh?" said Miroku as he crossed his arms in thought.

Sango stopped as she realized what he had just said before she killed him.  "Wait… who's dead?"

Shippou popped up behind Kirara, blinking and looking around rapidly.  "Where's Inuyasha?" he asked.

Sango and Miroku both turned to see the hanyou behind them, kneeling over something.  "What is it, Inuya—" Sango asked, before realizing that what he was holding was a body.  _'What…?'_

Inuyasha held Kagome tighter to his chest as he felt eyes watching his back, hunching over her crumpled form.  "How… what… Inuyasha?"  Inuyasha picked her up and stood, holding her close to him and ignoring their inquisitions.

Sango reached out and touched his shoulder, but he batted it away with a vicious snarl.  She stepped backwards in shock, clutching her hand as if he had burned it, too stiff to move.  "Inuyasha…?"  Inuyasha continued to ignore her, just holding Kagome as close as possible, his bangs hanging low over his eyes.

Miroku stepped forward and gripped his staff.  "Inuyasha!  What happened to Kagome-sama?"

Inuyasha's shoulders began to shake and he dropped to his knees, still silent.  _'Inuyasha… he's crying?' Miroku thought, kneeling down with Inuyasha and looking towards Kagome._

Miroku's eyes caught the sight of the dark crimson streaking her clothes, and immediately his breath hitched in his throat.  His eyes travel up her torso, seeing bloodstains from her stomach, shoulder, chest, and near her heart.  _'No…  Kagome-sama…'_ His eyes rested on her closed eyes, and pale face, realizing that her chest wasn't rising and falling like it would normally.

Inuyasha looked up, his bangs sliding away to reveal his angrily glowing eyes, Miroku's muscles jumping as he shrunk back slightly.  A small growl rumbled through the hanyou's chest in warning, his claws curling protectively around Kagome's limp form.

"Houshi-sama, what's wrong with Kagome-chan?"  Sango asked, noticing Miroku's face go pale.

Miroku stood shakily, seeing Sango's inquisitive expression.  "Sango… I think you should come with me…" he whispered quietly, leading Sango off to the side.  Sango hesitantly followed him, curious as to what he wanted to talk to her about, looking hesitantly back.

Shippou hopped up towards Inuyasha, and noticed a tiny sparkle running down his cheek, but he had once again ducked underneath his bangs and hidden his eyes.  Was Inuyasha…?  Shippou hopped into his lap, staring up at Inuyasha's trembling face.  "Inuyasha?  What happened?"

Inuyasha did not reply, only clutched Kagome closer to his chest.

The kitsune looked at Kagome, who was clasped tightly in Inuyasha's arms, her head lolling slightly into Inuyasha's chest.  With closer inspection, he realized that Kagome was covered in the stench of blood.  _'Oh no!_  Kagome is hurt'_ he thought desperately, hopping onto her chest and leaning down towards her heart, ignoring Inuyasha's growling._

It wasn't beating.

Shippou was batted off of Kagome with a snarl, and Inuyasha glared at the kitsune child with red eyes.

"SHUT UP!" he shouted, the kitsune shrinking back.  Shippou gasped and backed away, tears starting to form in his eyes as he looked at Kagome's lifeless form.  She… wasn't coming back?  Kagome?

A scream erupted from the taijiya's lips as soon as Miroku's words reached her ears.  Miroku laid a consoling hand on her shoulder, and Sango threw herself into Miroku's chest, the monk's eyebrows lowering in concern.  "I can't believe she's gone, houshi-sama!" she cried, gripping his shirt.

Miroku wrapped his arms around her, pushing aside his usual eechi thoughts and consoling the woman.  "It's all right, Sango.  Nothing is over yet."

The small group stayed there, silently mourning the loss of their companion, wondering how they would battle without her.  Without Kagome.

~*~

They had decided to rest and wait for sunrise to bury her, but Inuyasha wouldn't let anyone near her.  He growled and snarled at them, his eyes flashing red a few times.  Scared of him turning youkai and being unable to control him without Kagome's ability to "sit" him, they calmly left him alone to his thoughts.  They all fell asleep around the dim firelight, Inuyasha somewhat detached from the group as he held Kagome's body and leaned against a nearby tree.

His tears had stopped hours ago, but they would continually sting the back of his eyes every now and then.  Inuyasha's thoughts were full of guilt and sorrow, still wishing, _hoping_, that somehow she would magically come back to life in his arms.  That she would wake up and smile at him, bringing warmth back into his heart.

Now that she was gone, he had become detached and cold, not responding to anyone.  His eyes lost their usual bright golden color, and had turned into a pale shade of yellow, colder and more closed than before.

Inuyasha's face was contorted into that of sadness and anger, sad for his loss and angry for his failure.

He had failed.  Failed to save her, save Kagome.  It was all his fault that Kagome was dead, and he should have saved her.  He was so careless, and now the woman lying in his arms was proof of it.

His heart was wounded, so he sealed a barrier over it, closing himself off from the others and keeping his thoughts to himself.  When Kagome was alive, he would find himself openly talking to her about his past, about his sadness.  He would pour it all out to her without even realizing it.  She had been so kind and understanding, always happy and content because he had shared that with her.

When she was alive.

But now she wasn't, and it was his fault.  His fault.  There was noting he could do about it.

He had always wanted strength.  Power.  That's why he had originally wanted the jewel.  Ever since Kagome walked into his life, he began to doubt what he really wanted the Shikon no tama for.  Not all the power in the world was going to bring her back.

Never.

He gazed down at her pale face and his expression began to sink once more.  If only he could see her beautiful smiling face one more time.  He'd give anything to see her smile at him.  Even if it was only a glance.

With that thought left in his mind, Inuyasha drifted off from reality, leaving everything behind him.

In his arms, a soft pink glow began to pulsate and shine from the necklace on Kagome's neck, bathing the two in a soft glow as Inuyasha's eyes drifted closed in a soft slumber, his hands tightly entwined with Kagome's.

~***~***~

Listen up!  Kagome is NOT PERMANENTLY DEAD!!!  Stop flaming me!  Don't you trust me?!  Mat taku!  If you really want to know what's going on, email me (Kaji-chan@inu-yasha.zzn.com) or put your e-mail in the review box and I'll e-mail you, okay?  If you specify, I'll send you updates when I update my fanfiction: Trapped In Between.  Hey, tell me if you liked how I ended this chapter, k?  R&R!

~***~

Preview from Trapped In Between, Chapter 3:

"Inuyasha, you have to promise me that you will.  I know you don't understand, but you have to do it," instructed her soft voice as she clasped her hands together in a pleading notion.

Inuyasha nodded thoughtfully.  He wasn't sure what she meant, but he was willing to do anything at this point.  "I promise."

Her eyes shined with happiness and desperation as she stepped forward.  "I don't have much time left.  Inuyasha, I—"

Strong arms wrapped around her petite form, and she gasped at his sudden show of affection.  Inuyasha pulled her as close as he could, feeling his eyes sting again.  "I'll never let you go again, Kagome."

~***~


	3. Suspended Between Worlds

First, to start off, I want to apologize to all of you for my tardiness on posting this chapter.  It was finished a month ago, but as usual, ff.net was giving me a hard time… ¬.¬ Neways, to make it up to you, I REDID CHAPTER ONE AND TWO!!!!!  

**…AGAIN!  **

Even if you guys are all too lazy to go back and read it again (though you might anyway, since I've delayed this posting so long…), you **NEED TO REREAD CHAPTER ONE!!!!  At least towards the end!  Why?  Because I added… kind of an important part… that you guys will _really_ like…  ^_^  If you don't, you'll be kind of lost when Inuyasha and Kagome reflect upon it later in this chapter.**

WAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!  Chapter three at last!  I'm so happy!  I've gotten 30 reviews already!  You guys are making me so happy; I feel so loved!  ^_^  Tee-hee!  Allrighty, I am still kind of mad that people are still saying they're going to come after me for killing Kagome… (*cough, cough* Matti-chan *cough, cough*)  Don't be alarmed by this chapter (and it's shortness), but it will all come together. _ Okay, on with it!

Disclaimer:  I don't own Inuyasha (damn!), but I do own all the characters outside of the Inuyasha story line.  I _wish_ I owned Inuyasha, though… I'd put him on a leash and drag him to school, make him punch annoying people rapping in the halls, kick my old track coach that said I was too weak and frail to be on her team because _I'm not, threaten teachers that won't give me extensions when I'm sick, be possessive over me, threaten teachers (tee-hee), kill or horribly mutilate the boy who sits behind me in Bio who makes fun of anime (he'd probably do that on his own…), threaten more teachers, kiss him in public (oh, come ON, who doesn't want to be kissed by Inuyasha?  *nudges Kagome*), growl at all the slutty girls who send him looks in the hallway, ride on his back, tweak his kawaii dog ears…  Wow… I tend to ramble a little… ^_^_

~***~

~***~***~

_Trapped In Between_

Chapter 3: Suspended Between Worlds

By:  Kaji-chan

~***~***~

~***~

Black.

He was surrounded by it.

Deep, shaded, absorbent, shadowed, unfathomable.  Black.

He could barely see two feet in front of him, golden eyes darting this way and that for a way out of the place he had been suddenly thrown into.  Inuyasha swung out his claws with a frustrated growl, swiping this way and that, wherever his fists could reach, but still nothing happened.  He was still confined, enclosed, surrounded by it.  
  


Black.

Inuyasha tried to remember how he had gotten there, tried to get his memory to work.  Where was he last?  How did he arrive in this place?

Then something in the back of his head clicked.  He had fallen asleep after a day of long, irritable arguing with his companions, and then he had laid against the trunk of a tree to get away from Miroku and Sango with Kagome lying by his side.

Now he remembered.  Kagome… she had… he couldn't bring himself to say it.  The only other thing he remembered was blood, and lots of it.  Not his blood, not Miroku's blood, and not Sango's blood.

Kagome's blood.

Inuyasha felt the sting at the back of his eyes and his vision blurred once again.  He squeezed his eyelids shut, forcing back the weakness that threatened to spill from his eyes with a frustrated grunt.  He wouldn't cry.  Not again.  He had already cried too much, against his liking.

He had to be strong; he had to push it back down.  It didn't matter how difficult it was to do so.  He had to.  Not just for himself.  

For Kagome.

He had to conceal the weakness he was showing, close off the opening to his heart.  No matter how much it hurt, he couldn't let anyone see what was slowly ripping and tearing him apart from the inside out.  What was slowly killing him from within, leaving his heart torn in shreds of pain.  

No one.

That's how it had been before; he had cut off all feeling and association with others, never talking with or communicating with anyone.  Then… that strange, different, caring miko unknowingly waltzed into his life, always containing his thoughts.  Who was this woman, invading his mind and awakening strange feelings that he had never experienced before?  Kikyou.  She appeared to him, treating him differently, loving him like a mother would love a lost child and picking him up out of the dirt.

He was scared… scared to return these different feelings to her.  She had prodded his heart, waking it up from its cold, depleted slumber of displacement and upheaval.  Then, abruptly, she died, leaving him alone to himself again, suspended in animation for 50 years, not able to pass on to the next world and join her.  

What happened during those 50 years?

His anger, hatred, and thoughts of betrayal brewed inside of him.  How dare she!  How dare that bitch pretend to love him, only to backstab him after all he had done for her, after trusting her!  She had promised him the jewel.  The Shikon no tama.  The miko had promised that if he used it to become human, that they could spend their lives together.

True, he had not exactly wanted that at first.  Be with a human?  Spend his life with her?

How absurd.

At least, he thought it was.  As time passed, his mind slowly began to side with the other, more human musings, convincing himself that living with a human woman like Kikyo wouldn't be that bad.  Now, if he ever had the chance, he would go back and fix everything he had done wrong with her.  With Kikyo.

But then again, would he really?

Inuyasha pondered his thoughts with a furrowed brow and confused expression.  Maybe… maybe life with Kikyo would have suited him then, but now… he wasn't so sure.

He had been held there, not able to pass onto the next life… waiting… planning…  He would get her back for what she did to him.  He made a vow to himself, never to let himself love again, never to let someone through that tiny crack in the stone around his heart.  He would become his previously desolate self.

Then, he was released from the 50-year long spell, and found himself face to face with her; the woman who killed him, betrayed him.

Kikyou.

However, after careful inspection, he found it was not she.  It was a different girl.  Kagome.

Kagome… she was a miracle; his second chance at love.  At first, he despised her for what she had done to him in her previous life, pushing away the eccentric warmth and friendliness that continually radiated from her.  Her bubbly and cheerful behavior was surprising to him.  Wasn't this the reincarnation of Kikyou, the one who killed him and pinned him to a tree fifty long years ago?  The silent, almost austere miko who rarely smiled?

In time, he found out how wrong he was.  True, she was Kikyou's reincarnation.  She was, indeed Kikyou, reborn.  Who else could possess such great spiritual power, purifying forces that rivaled that of even their sworn enemy, Naraku?

Nevertheless, there was a definite difference between the two.  Kagome was so kind hearted and giving, never expecting the kindness to be returned.  She was forgiving, and put her entire trust in him, never questioning his judgment, despite the fact that he was a hanyou.  She cared nothing of those things.  Him being half youkai, half human; she didn't disapprove of that.  She was able to see through his tough exterior and find the softer, more sentimental Inuyasha that was never shown.

With Kagome, it had been so pleasant, so comforting… to just talk casually with her, without knowing it.  He would unconsciously tell her things that he would _never_ mention to anyone else, things about his dark and solemn past.  He was never able to do that with Kikyou; whether it was the fact that he had not trusted her enough, or whether she wasn't the kind to receive, he didn't know.

It didn't matter what he was talking about with Kagome, she would always gaze into his eyes and smile up at him, accepting every word with consideration and understanding, never questioning.  He never had to pretend with her.

Her presence comforted him, gave him strength.  Her soothing touch always seemed to give him undying strength and self-assurance.  He never wanted to be away from her.  He had made that mistake once before when he tried to seal her on the other side of the well, but she pushed her way through time and ran towards him with tearful, longing eyes that pierced his soul with guilt.  He then promised himself that he never, _ever_ wanted to see those tearful, sorrowful eyes again.

In a day, she was back to her lively self, encouraging their group with an inspirational smile.  Her irritation or annoyance with anyone was always short-lived, as if it blew away with the passing wind.  There were very few times, that Inuyasha could remember, when Kagome wasn't laughing, smiling, or trying to lift his mood.  God how he loved that smile…

But not anymore.  He wouldn't ever be able to see her beautiful, smiling features.  Now that she was… she was…

Inuyasha flinched back, shutting away his thoughts.  "Damnit…  I…  I'm such a weakling…" he whispered to himself, ignoring the way his anxious tone of voice betrayed his true feelings.  He couldn't stop thinking about her…

He would never stop thinking about her.

It was a vicious cycle of hurt, his life.  Ever since Kikyou died, he had been plagued with thoughts of guilt, and even though he knew there was no way he could have prevented her death, he still blamed himself for her passing.  However, when Kagome died… it _was_ his fault.  He was there.  He saw Kikyou—no, Kagura—fire that arrow at her.  He watched as her lively spirit slowly seeped from her body and the last glimmer of life flicker out of her vibrant blue-grey eyes.

It was HIS fault that he couldn't save her… that he couldn't stop the blood from flowing, that he couldn't block the path of those deadly arrows.  It was all his fault.

How would he tell her family?  He would have to sooner or later, knowing that it would be what Kagome wanted.  Inuyasha could envision their tear-streaked faces when he informed them of her passing, their anger at him because he was not able to protect her.  What about that little boy who always looked up at him with such admiration and respect?  Kagome used to always complain about how he continuously ranted about growing up to be just like 'Inuyasha-onii-chan'.  How would his eyes look at him now?  With sadness?  Disappointment?  Anger?  Or maybe all of them?

His eyes dropped to the floor as his eyebrows lowered sadly, not noticing the fuzzy triangles atop silver hair droop in somber despair.  It was true.  He was a failure… a failure because he couldn't save them, either of them, Kagome or Kikyou.  Two women had died, now, because of him.  "Kagome…" he whispered, his voice cracking slightly as he closed his eyes.  "Why did you leave me alone?"

A soft light pricked the lids of his eyes, and he gently opened them to look up at the annoyance.  He held back a gasp of surprise when he realized what had created the light, realizing his own body was glowing a soft pink.  "What the—"

"Inuyasha…"

Inuyasha's head snapped up, and he barely prevented himself from stumbling backwards in unadulterated astonishment.  "Ka… Kagome…?"

The woman's lightly glowing skin emitted a warming light that ran through Inuyasha's broken body and soothed him.  A smile shone on her lips and she tucked a loose strand of black hair behind her ear.  Her long, dark lashes outlined her sapphire eyes, and a hint of grey glistened in her large, joyful orbs.  "Inuyasha, I hope I haven't worried you." She said, her singsong voice still present in her angelic-like state.

Inuyasha took a step towards her and reached out a clawed hand.  Was she real, or was he dreaming?  He had to be.

The young woman blinked at him in confusion as he reached out and lightly touched her face.  A smile graced her lips once more, replacing the miniature "o" as she reached up and lay a consoling hand on his, moving it from her face.  "Inuyasha, I am real.  I'm no illusion."

His golden eyes widened as his hands touched her face, not passing through her.  She… she was real!  His eyes trailed over the outfit that she wore, a smile tugging at his lips as he realized that she was still wearing her old school uniform.  A frown became apparent when he noticed the rips in her clothing, in the same places where her skin had been pierced.  "What wrong, Inuyasha?" she whispered to him as his hands tenderly touched the spots on her body where her flesh was once ruptured.

"Kagome…" he whispered to her, almost as if anything above his light tone would cause her to disappear, "Your wounds… they're—"

She, once again, removed his hands and wrapped them gently in her own.  "Of course they're gone, Inuyasha, I'm not in a human body right now."

Inuyasha's face contorted into an expression of confusion.  "What do you mean, Kagome?  You're right here, talking to me."

She smiled.  "That I am, Inuyasha.  You're not dreaming, you're held in suspended animation so that I can talk to you."

Inuyasha inhaled her sweet scent, his taught muscles relaxing as her calming smell wrapped around him like an invisible blanket, warming his soul.  He stepped forward, clasping onto her hands.  "Kagome… it feels like I haven't seen you in an eternity."

Kagome's smiled loosened and she looked away.  "It's been the same for me, too."  She was silent for a few seconds before she began to speak again.  "Inuyasha, I—"

Her words were silenced by surprise when he wrapped her in a tight embrace, and she sighed and melted into his chest.  She couldn't believe how much she had missed him… missed his rare affection.  The strong, reassuring arms around her restored her hope, giving her renewed happiness.  Her hands fisted in his haori and she buried her face into his embrace.  The desperation in his hug was so obvious, and she bit her lip in deep contemplation.  How could she have left him like this?  She could tell just by the tone of his voice how he had felt while she was gone… lost.

It wasn't too hard for her to believe, though.  When she first met Inuyasha, it was almost as if he was a wanderer… someone looking for a home.  She instinctively reached out to him, embracing his hindered soul with her comforting spirit and gave him someone to talk to, someone he could speak to about things he wouldn't tell anyone else.  She smiled into his haori despite herself, because, eventually, instead of opening her mind to him, she ended up opening her heart, and she unconsciously fell in love with the desolate hanyou.

It was funny how things always ended up not turning out in his favor; how he lost the only two people he ever cared about, and all in great thanks to Naraku.  It made Kagome tremble in an uncontrolled anger for the youkai, that he would do something so terrible to the only person she ever loved.  She could feel it… his spirit was loosing it's life.  He was slowly and unknowingly tearing apart his soul in despair and guilt, making Kagome's heart squeeze in concern.

She had watched him as he confused and unsettled nature slowly turned into anger, as he was unable to control his feelings of sorrow, lashing out at anyone who came near him.  She wished that she could have laid a consoling hand on his shoulder; hold him silently until he calmed, whisper to him that everything was going to be okay, anything to take away his pain.

However, she couldn't.  She was stuck in between the living and the dead, only able to watch as he suffered without her calming spirit to help him in his desperate state.  She had left him… left him alone again, with no one to hold or talk to or lean on.  It was all her fault, and there was nothing she could do about it.

She should have tried harder… she should have fought death, she _could have fought death.  She was too weak, too succumbing to the darkness which wrapped around her as she slipped away… when it would have been so easy to force herself to stay awake, to keep living… for Inuyasha…_

For his love.  Her heart fluttered at the fond memory that was still so fresh on her mind, still tingling on her lips.  Her eyes closed in content.  If only she could stay like this forever, wrapped in his arms, all of her concerns left behind in the abyss.  Her eyes slowly slid open with realization; she couldn't.  Not when there were more important things to worry about; not when Inuyasha was suffering because of _her.  "Inuyasha, I—"_

"Don't Kagome." he whispered softly, loosening the hug so he could gaze into her glowing azure eyes with his gentle amber ones.  "Stay with me, Kagome."

"I…  I can't…" she breathed, already missing the absence of his strong arms wrapping around her torso.  "It's not that simple."

"Kagome.  Please… stay with me." he pleaded, locking his gaze with hers and staring deep into the depths of the misty blue orbs.  "Don't leave me all alone again…"

Her heart twisted at the look on his face, because she already knew what the answer was.  She slowly pulled away from him and her gaze fell to the floor, not wanting to tell him that she couldn't.  "Inuyasha…"

"Do you remember, about a year ago, when you and I had that big fight and you ran back to your time?" Inuyasha asked, turning to smile softly at Kagome as she timidly chanced a confused look back at him.  "It was the one, when I almost chose Kikyou…"

Kagome blinked at his statement.  _~Almost?~_

"But Shippo, Miroku and Sango just wouldn't leave me alone, continually accusing me of two-timing and telling me what an asshole I was," he said, chuckling at the memory and turning away from her searching gaze.  "Then, when I gathered up my courage to see you, there you were, sitting on the rim of the well waiting for me."

As Inuyasha paused, Kagome inwardly gasped at her own realization.  _~I remember now… that was the day…  I thought I had lost him… to Kikyou…~_

"You told me how you had thought about the three of us, and then you asked, 'Can I stay with you?'  You were so forgiving and kind… and even after all I had put you through, you still wanted to be by my side."  Kagome was silent as Inuyasha turned to face her, his eyes shining with unanswered questions.  "Kagome… do you still wish to stay with me?"

Kagome's eyes glistened with unshed tears, and she closed her eyes and laughed.  "Of course I do, Inuyasha."  She opened her eyes again to smile sadly up at Inuyasha as he slowly approached her once more.  "Why would I break the promise that I made, that I would stay by your side forever, no matter what?"

He clasped her hands and stared into her eyes, his reflection shining entrenched within their depths.  They smiled at each other, their locked intensity never faltering, allowing time to slip by as they gazed at each other's expressions.  

Inuyasha's expression slowly slipped into desolation, and he looked down, his eyes covered underneath a curtain of thick silver bangs.  "Kagome, why did you have to die?  Why… why can't you stay with me?"

Her eyes glistened with sadness and despair, knowing that she could not agree to his request.  "Inuyasha, I wish that I didn't die, too, but I can't just…"  Her voice faded and she trailed off, unsure of what to say.  "I'm not even sure why I haven't passed to the next world, yet."

Inuyasha's eyes shot open.  "What?  You mean you aren't dead yet?"

She thought deeply for a second.  "Well, my body died, but something is keeping my spirit from passing on, perhaps because part of my soul still remains in Kikyou."  Kagome was silent for a moment, before it dawned on her.  "Inuyasha!  The shard!  That's why!  The Shikon no Tama is preventing me from dying because I'm still needed to piece together the jewel."

So, the jewel was keeping her body alive?  "Wait a second, Kagome, so you're soul is still animate?!" he asked, hope and nervousness filling his voice.

She cast her gaze down to the floor again.  "No…  I'm ah… kind of floating in between both worlds, I guess.  I am not alive, but I'm not exactly dead either." she replied.  "I am only able to communicate with you through dreams.  It's a bit difficult to explain."

Inuyasha's hopeful expression dropped in an instant, and his tight grip on her hands slackened.  "Will you… be able to come back?" he asked quietly.

Her eyes fluttered closed.  "I… I don't know." She whispered.  "I… shouldn't be able to come back, because, I was killed… I think…"  She turned her head to the side and her expression saddened again, piercing his heart.  "I don't… really belong in the realm of the living… just like Kohaku… and Kikyou…"

Inuyasha watched as her face scrunched into a distraught expression once more.  "Kagome, you're not Kikyou."

She paused, turning to look at him with a surprised and almost relieved expression.  The two were quiet for a moment, before Kagome once again found her voice.  "Thank you, Inuyasha."  He replied with a smile and a nod of the head.  Kagome returned it, and then her face turned more serious than before, her eyebrows lowering in deliberation.

"Inuyasha, you have to promise me that you will.  I know you don't understand, but you have to do it," she instructed, her soft voice as she clasped her hands together in a pleading gesture.

Inuyasha nodded thoughtfully.  He wasn't sure what she meant, but he was willing to do anything at this point, anything to keep her alive.  "I promise."

Her eyes shined with happiness and desperation as she stepped forward.  "I don't have much time left.  Inuyasha, I—"

Strong arms wrapped around her petite form, and she gasped at his sudden show of affection.  Inuyasha pulled her as close as he could, feeling his eyes sting again.  "I'll never let you go again, Kagome."

Kagome's eyes widened, and her mouth fell open in surprise at his sudden forwardness towards her.  "I…  Inuyasha?"  Her disbelief was evident in the tone of her voice.

His only response was a tightened grip on her waist, and she squeezed her eyes shut, leaning longingly into his warmth.  This might be the last time she would ever be able to hold him.  It might be the last time she would ever see him.  "I… don't have much time left, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha knew he only had a few minutes left, so he absorbed as much of her as possible, wrapping her in his arms as tightly as he could.  He inhaled her familiar, soothing fragrance and rested his head atop of Kagome's, wishing to stay like that for perpetuity.  It felt so right to hold her in his arms, her chest pressed up against his, and no one else around.  No Kouga there to declare his love for Kagome, no annoying companions to hide behind bushes and tell him what a jerk he is, and no Kikyou.  Just him and Kagome.

That's the way it should be.

"Inuyasha…" her muffled voice whispered.

"Yes, Kagome?" he replied, letting his head rest a moment more atop her head before pulling back slightly to look at her.

"When… you kissed me, did you do it because you were scared that I was leaving you…" she trailed off as Inuyasha's face contorted into an expression of realization and averted her gaze to look to the side, "or because you loved me?"

Inuyasha was unsure of how to answer such a question.  Wasn't it obvious to her?  Though, it was out of desperation that he could find the courage to kiss her, when for so long he had been scared to for various reasons.  "I guess… since I was so afraid of loosing you, that I…"

She was quiet, and her eyes turned away as her face began to emit a soft pink glow, spreading down her body all the way to her feet.  She was disappearing.  "No…" he breathed, pulling her close again, even as he felt her presence drift from him.  "No!  Wait!"

The outline of her body glimmered for a few short moments, before beginning to dissolve, disappearing from sight.  "Wait, Kagome!" he cried out to her as if she was far away, and she slowly turned her saddened face to look at him.  He grasped her shoulders and pulled her closer, tilting her face up to bring her lips hesitantly to his.

He felt her body go taut, but she slowly relaxed, leaning forward and slanting her chin upward to deepen the kiss.  Kagome's hand trailed it's way up his shoulder to grab a fistful of hair at the nape of his neck, pushing their lips ever more closer.  Their bodies melted into one another, the two of them pulling as close to each other as physically possible.  Kagome enjoyed the euphoria of emotions that flowed through her body from their heated connection at the lips.  Her softer lips crushed to his tougher ones were sending shockwaves of electricity through her and hitting her deep within her core, sparking reaction from deep within her.

They finally parted, both dizzy and feeling more exposed than before as they gasped for air, still clasping onto each other in desperation.  Kagome's hand lifted up to her lips, which were still tingling from the sensation of his mouth crushed against hers.  Inuyasha's bright, glittering eyes locked onto hers, and he smiled, whispering, "I'll be waiting for you, Kagome."

His hands suddenly weren't holding onto hers, and he looked down in question to see that his fingers had passed though her hand, as her figure slowly began to disappear.  Her scent slowly faded along with her body, until only an outline was left behind, glistening happily at him.  Her pale, radiant face smiled at him, and she brought her hands to rest where her heart would be, only the shimmering lines of her figure still visible, her eyes shining up at him.  "I'll find you, Inuyasha."

Kagome completely vanished from sight, leaving behind only sparkling air in her wake and her sweet scent amidst the air.  "I'll find you." her gentle voice whispered, before fading away, swallowed by the surrounding darkness.

Inuyasha held his hand out, catching bits of the sparkles in his outstretched hand and unsettling the sparkled outline of where she once was, swirling together and disappearing from sight.  The happiness and fulfill ness he had received from her presence was slowly drained from him as he felt himself drift away from the void of black.  He didn't want to leave, leave the place where she once was… the last place he would probably ever see her smiling face…

Before he could finish his thoughts, he was pulled away from the dream and back into reality.

~***~***~

^______^  So, how did you like it?  Tell me your best part, 'cause I may repeat it later on…  ^_~  You never know what I'll write, ne?  Did the kiss surprise you?  C'mon, I know you liked it…  ^_^  Why else would you be reading an Inuyasha/Kagome angst, hm?  Hey, now you know why I told you guys to go back and reread the end of the first chapter, don't you?  Tell me what you think, peepz!  R&R!  Sorry for the lateness, once more!

I would give you a preview of the next chapter, but I don't want to give anything important away… ^_~  I will give you a hint, though.  A few snippets of dialogue from chapter four (mind you… they may be scattered)

"I'll be leaving for a while."

"Wait, Inuyasha, what are you doing?!"

"Give me the Shikon no Kakera, and I will spare her life…"

^_^  Next chapter will be quite lengthy, folks, so stay tuned!  R&R!


	4. In Between Nothing

*bashes head*  Gah!  You have NO IDEA how much I've pulled my hair out over this one, seriously… *looks at hair* …it's thinning out…  I got absorbed in other fanfictions, tests, last minute school projects now that school has started up again… basically, a lot of crap.  I had wandered away from this fic a bit, and then when I finally decided to get working on it, I forgot where the plot was going…

So, now that I have a decent idea of what I had originally planned for the plot, I have written chapter four (even though it's waaaaay late).  I know that I promised it to be long, but it's not…  I found the cut off point a bit earlier in the chapter than I'd initially intended, but chapter five will be at least 17 pages.  (as I'm estimating)

Disclaimer:  *holds up sign*  I don't own Inuyasha.  *glares at disclaimer and purses lips*  You're really rubbing it in, huh?

~***~

~***~***~

_Trapped In Between_

Chapter 4:  Trapped Within Nothing

By:  Kaji-chan

~***~***~

~***~

Inuyasha's eyes shot open the second he felt his conscious drift away from the dream, shooting upwards into a sitting position.  For a few seconds, he couldn't remember what he had dreamed about, his memory blank in a lapse of inattentiveness.  "Shikon no… tama…" he whispered absently, Inuyasha's gaze shifting down towards the body lying in his arms.

The jewel was glowing softly, glimmering in the early morning rays as it lay inanimately around her neck.  Inuyasha felt his hand unconsciously reach out for it, his fingers closing around the small piece of the jewel, feeling its warmth quiver slightly in his palm.  He stared at it for a while, his eyes unblinking as the stages of his dream rolled over in his head.  This was her lifeline, this tiny piece of a gem.

His eyes slid closed, a sigh escaping his lips.  He dropped the shard, letting it fall back into place on her chest, resting his hand on her cheek.  Even though the life had drained from her face, it still radiated a subtle sense of beauty; still soft, flawless and without scars.

Inuyasha looked down at her hand lying nonchalantly across her stomach, clasping them in his and kissing it lightly.  A saddened smile graced his lips.  They were still warm…

Wait… warm?

His eyes shot open and he looked down at the wound on her side, realizing that it had begun to close.  His astonished gaze trailed to each of her wounds, all of them slightly closing up… she was healing.  He leaned down to her chest, tilting her head to the side so his ear could attune to any quiet noises her body might emit.

His eyebrows scrunched together.  There wasn't a heartbeat, and there was no sign of any breathing…  What did that mean?

"Inuyasha."

His head jerked up to see a solemn Miroku standing before him, clutching his staff.  "We… we should bring Kagome's body to Kaede."  A pained expression crossed his normally calmed features, and he looked down.  "It's been at least 24 hours by now."

The hanyou was silent, staring angrily at the ground.

At his continued silence, Miroku finally looked up, a slightly irritated expression on his face.  "Inuyasha, please."  Inuyasha looked away, a scowl present.  "We should at least visit with Kaede-sama, the village is just past the tree line.  Speaking with her might calm—"

Inuyasha's head snapped up, his livid glare piercing through the monk.  "I don't need to be fucking _calmed," he snarled, his hands reflexively tightening their hold on Kagome._

Miroku's firm stance faltered.  "Inuyasha, we should at least perform the proper burial services—"

"_NO,_" Inuyasha growled, his eyes flashing furiously.

"_Inuyasha!_" Miroku shouted, his calm demeanor slipping.  "Do not pretend you are the only one who cares for Kagome!  Stop being so _damned selfish!"  Inuyasha flinched slightly, but his glare did not waver.  "Sango's been crying since yesterday because you won't let anyone even _touch_ Kagome.  She has a right, Kagome was practically the only family she's had the past two years!"_

Inuyasha's gaze trailed to the ground, but Miroku's eyes just narrowed more, his pent up anger seeping into his words.  Inuyasha's consistent stubbornness and Sango's grief was paying its toll.  "We are _all _sad and we are _all frustrated.  Don't think you're the only one!  Why don't you stop being and asshole for once and let us properly take care of Kagome's body?!"_

There was a lapse of silence in which Inuyasha glared at the ground, refusing to answer Miroku.  Why should they take Kagome to Kaede's?  It would just be more people fussing over her, and that was the last thing he wanted.  Then again, she would most likely be able to help Inuyasha sort out the problem with the Shikon no Tama.  Closing his eyes and snorting irritably, he finally gave the monk an approving grunt.

"I'll inform the others that we shall be heading towards the village, _Inuyasha_."  Miroku sighed tetchily, shaking his head and walking away to inform the others of their decision, wearing a slightly pained expression.  He could tell that Inuyasha was not handling this situation well.  Truthfully, he never did.  Inuyasha was the type to ignore the signs carved right in front of him.

They were all mourning the loss of their close companion, they were all sad.  But at least they realized there was no taking back what had been done.  They might not have accepted that fact, but they recognized it.

Inuyasha continued to glare, but had adverted his gaze towards the horizon, closing himself off from more conversation.  Miroku frowned at his turned form, but said nothing more to him, instead turning and leaving him to his thoughts.

The hanyou ignored the monk's leave, turning his head to glare at a tree.  He wasn't giving up on her so easily.  He wouldn't give up on her.  He was going to bring her back.  No matter what.

~*~

Inuyasha watched as Kaede murmured a series of prayers over Kagome's inanimate body, wearing a sorrowed expression.  His face was drawn into a scowl, but his eyes said otherwise, sorrow shining in their depths.

He had finally explained to everyone why they couldn't bury her body, and they had all thoroughly discussed how they would deal with the presented problem.  Inuyasha, though reluctant, had finally allowed Kaede to detect any type of spell on her body, but had found none.  They had also found out that Naraku had disappeared.  Again.  It seemed that everywhere they went, they were hitting a dead end.

Kaede sighed, laying her prayer beads on a small table and turning to face Inuyasha.  "There's nothing I can do.  If I knew what was wrong with her…"

Inuyasha frowned.  What were they going to do?

Kaede moved towards the fire, a small pot simmering above it.  "I don't know how to tell.  It's almost impossible to decipher what is keeping her body alive even though her spirit has left her body…"

Inuyasha suddenly sprang forward, his hand grabbing the material of the old woman's sleeve and tugging it.  "Wait… you said it was just her spirit gone from her body?"

The old miko gave him a puzzled look.  "Yes."  She pulled her arm back and picked up a stick to stoke the lowering fire.  "Why?"

"Isn't that like… when Kikyou's soul snatchers take someone's soul…?" he asked quietly.

Kaede turned to gaze at him in question, her old eyes wise.  "Yes?"

Inuyasha's eyes delved into an expression of thought.  "So… she would be able to return to her body, wouldn't she…?

The old woman smiled, nodding and turning back to stoking to fire.  "Of course, we would need her spirit," she said, hunched over in the task of bringing life back to the embers.

Inuyasha sighed, turning to Kagome's form.  His eyes saddened, making his way over to kneel beside her.  His hands brushed over her cheek, a sad smile crossing his features before pulling a blanket over her from its resting place at the foot of the futon.  Even if she couldn't feel the warmth it gave her.

The old miko watched him with astute eyes.  _'How terrible this has become…'_

The hanyou stood once again, turning for the door, his eyes softened.  "So… all I have to do is find her spirit?" he asked calmly, reaching to hold up the flimsy door curtain.

Kaede nodded.  "Yes, but she will be invisible to your eyes.  After all, if she is trapped here in this realm as we assume, then we should be able to find her if we discover one who can see the dead spirits."

Inuyasha stood there, silently contemplating.  Who would be able to see her spirit?  Certainly not him.  Perhaps someone with more power, then?  His eyes widened.  Of course!

He turned to the old woman.  "Kaede-baba, watch her while I'm gone."

Kaede looked at him questioningly.  "Where are you going?"

"To a reunion."

Kaede had no time to inquire what he had meant, for the hanyou had disappeared from sight, the only sign of his wake being the swinging curtain of her door.

~*~

Outside Kaede's window, a lone figure smiled sweetly, watching after his retreating form with a shining glimmer of hope in her eyes.  "Yes, Inuyasha.  That is the way."

~***~***~

Yes!  Chapter four OUT!  DONE!  FINISHED!  *dances*  Already working on chapter five.  I KNOW this one is WAY short, but the next one will be WAY long, I promise!  *whistles and giggles, wandering off to begin on chapter five*  Oh, it's all planned out in my head…  ^_^  See if you can guess who he's going to see!  ^_~

Ja for now!


End file.
